Coastal Access

Key Focus Area

Efficiency & Effectiveness

About This Project

There are currently only six officially recognized public access points to the Pilbara coast, outside of the urbanized town areas. The most recent addition was the Public Access Route to the Ashburton River Mouth in 2013.

Analysis of aerial images of the coast had identified about a thousand informal coastal access points, most of which are services by multiple bush tracks. Many of these unofficial routes pass through private property, leaseholds, and crown land or government reserves. This uncontrolled vehicular movement has led to the degradation and erosion of the land.

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As a result, there have been cases of pastoral leaseholders restricting public access through their stations due to environmental damage, littering and disruption to pastoral activities. Traditional owners have also raised concerns about access to sacred or important heritage sites. There have also been changes to the access points open to the public due to recent large resource projects.

The groundwork for this project was performed in FY14. Since that time, the PRC has created a Steering Committee Group. Identified several potential sites to be used as the pilot sites and identified stakeholders with an interest in Pilbara coastal use.

We have also assembled the majority of coastal access policies, guidelines and procedures across all Federal State and Local authorities and have made substantial progress towards the completion of the first pilot study route (Onslow PAR), including completing the track survey.

PROPOSED OBJECTIVES

A management strategy for sustainably planned access routes to the Pilbara coastline, able to inform local government statutory planning requirements.

Strategy to specifically cater to the individual member LGA environments.

Strategy to be developed in close partnership with the WA Department of Planning.